Do sexy androids dream of beating the crap out of their abusive Handlers?
- Nymphobots #1
- Created & Written by Paul Veenstra
- Illustrated by Breno Braga
- Lettered by Jesshavok
In a vibrant dystopian future one Nymphobot breaks the shackles of her programming and kills her Handler, resulting in her and an unlikely techno nerd becoming the world’s most wanted fugitives!
Before we even start, I’m gonna confess that I almost passed this one up for review, and then point directly at the elephant in the room. This comic is NOT suitable for work. Yes, this comic contains nudity. Yes, this comic is full to the brim of adult situations. Yes, Nymphobots has all of that, but it’s not what you might be thinking when staring at a comic titled “Nymphobots”. If you’re looking for… that… there are plenty of sites out there to cater.
But if Nymphobots isn’t… that… then what is it? The closest parallel I can make would be if Phillip K. Dick dropped a lot of acid and tried his hand at writing an 80s revenge movie. Also, in the interest of full disclosure, there are moments in this story that are going to be uncomfortable if not outright triggering to some. To balance that, the heart of the comic follows the title characters, Nymphobots Lani & Jem, struggling to break their programming, to be more than passive sex toys and take control of their electronic lives.
Paul Veenstra puts together a series of dark situations, opening with Lani’s escape from her sadistic owner and leading into her search for sentient independence. She doesn’t want to be a SEX-38 model Nymphobot, victim to the whims of whoever holds her bill of sale. At one point in the issue, after overcoming her programming and responding violently to her mistreatment, Lani says, “We are treated like objects. We were made to feel, made to (be) hurt, but not made to think.” In that very self-aware statement, she’s well on her way to sentience even if she’s not fully aware of it.
For his part, illustrator Breno Braga is walking a fine line between titillating and obscene. Much like Jessica Rabbit, Lani and Jem (introduced in the second half of the issue) are made to look… a certain way. Braga doesn’t hold back when drawing a very shapely feminine form, but he also manages to show the two women as innocents in their own way. There are also moments when a fed right-the-hell-up Lani is drenched in the blood of her would-be abusers to relieve any thoughts of over-sexualization. I do have to say that the color scheme, leaning hard into neon bursts of bright pastels to drive home the world’s digital side, bothered me a little. I tend to prefer my cyberpunk a little grittier, not quite so dayglo-ey.
The lettering by Jesshavok does a good job, showing Lani & Jem’s distinct voices on the page. I do want to point out that, when reading Nymphobots on a tablet in a darkened room, the sharp color contrasts & font for android dialogue got a little hard on these old eyes. The rest of the dialogue had no issues, and in fairness to Jesshavok I have to point back to the overall color scheme when talking about eyestrain.
With a lot more going on in this story than its title might imply, & despite the character of Danny being annoying as hell, Nymphobots is a worthwhile read. Its first issue is available now on GlobalComix, with the promise of a Kickstarter for issue 2 to come. There’s a definite disclaimer, as some are going to have issues with Lani & Jem’s objectification, and others are going to be bothered by the implied sexual violence. Both of those points would be valid, but I want to point out that there’s also the beginnings of solid character arcs for the ladies here. Add in the potential world-building going on, with factions on top of factions all vying for control, & you could be looking at a solid cyberpunk series in its formative days.
Final Score: 10/13
